


Salvage

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Extra Treat, Fluff, Kid Fic, Multi, Pre-Star Wars: A New Hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-05 08:17:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12790497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: Luke takes to rescuing the abandoned droids of Tatooine, much to the perplexity of his guardians.





	Salvage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rachaelizame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachaelizame/gifts).



“Where did he find that piece of junk again? The scrap heap?”

Beru pinched Obi-Wan’s arm. “A schoolmate. The girl’s family was getting rid of it. Luke… rescued it.”

“It belongs in a recycler.”

“Don’t be rude,” Beru said, but she was laughing. “Honestly Owen said the same thing. But Luke won’t be budged.”

“I hope he’s had his shots,” Obi-Wan muttered, and Beru pinched him again.

-

After four straight days of Luke holing himself up in the workshop with the rusted bits of what might once have been, if one used the term generally, a droid, Obi-Wan squatted down beside him and said, “You seem to be having some difficulties with your… droid.”

Luke’s tongue was sticking out from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated. “It’s fine,” he mumbled, uncharacteristically lacking in chatter.

“Perhaps… some droids cannot be salvaged.”

“I can fix him!” Luke protested, eyes gone wide and defensive, as though he expected Obi-Wan to tell him he couldn’t.

“My concern was not with your ability,” Obi-Wan assured him, “only with the quality of your materials.”

“He’s not ‘material’,” Luke said, a hint of anger seeping through. “They were going to throw him away! Like he was worthless!”

Kneeling there on the floor, Obi-Wan was struck with how like his parents Luke was, Anakin’s messy blond hair and clever hands, Padmé’s dedication to fighting for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.

And the stubbornness he got from them both.

“So you thought you would rescue him?” Obi-Wan said, his chest suddenly feeling tight.

“He just needs some help,” Luke said, and Obi-Wan sat quietly and watched.

-

“You were supposed to talk him out of it,” Owen grumbled later in their crowded bed, as Obi-Wan unwound Beru’s hair, combing his fingers through it.

“I’m not sure how I ended up with that task. If you don’t want him fixing the droid, you tell him not to.”

“He listens to you!”

Obi-Wan scoffed. “He listens to me very poorly when it’s something he doesn’t want to do.”

“You spoil him,” Beru said with a laugh. “Owen, Ben’s right; he should never be counted on for tasks like that.”

“It’s harmless, anyway. Let the boy try. It’s a nice diversion for him, gives him something to focus on.”

“He could be helping around the farm, where he’s needed,” Owen insisted.

“Oh, Owen,” Beru said with a smack to his thigh.

“I was working when I was his age! Luke’s got to learn responsibility!”

“He’s eight.”

“Old enough to make himself useful.”

“Young enough to be allowed a harmless amusement that might actually be good for him in his free time; he’s certainly more skilled with mechanics than either of us.”

Owen and Beru turned almost as one to Obi-Wan, clearly intending on using him as the deciding vote.

Obi-Wan raised up his hands. “As his guardians, I’m sure your opinions are far more valid than mine.”

“Unbelievable,” Beru said. “Leaves us with a baby and then won’t even offer an opinion as to how to raise him.”

“Shares our bed but won’t admit he shares the guardianship of our child,” Owen added.

“All right, all right,” Obi-Wan said, admitting defeat, and Beru pushed him onto his back, climbing over him and settling there above his hips, smiling, brushing her hair back.

“Should we teach him a lesson, Owen?” she asked.

“I think we should, yes, Beru,” Owen agreed, moving behind her and kissing the back of her shoulder. “Obviously we’ve been neglectful.”

“Oh, dear,” Obi-Wan murmured, and wondered, as he had many times before, precisely how he had gotten himself into this.

 -

The small droid rolled slowly across the dusty workshop, its path a bit uneven but the pace steady. Luke was grinning. “I told you, Uncle Ben! All he needed was some help!”

“You were quite right,” Obi-Wan said, a mix of pride and bittersweet remembrance constricting his chest. A Skywalker through and through, Anakin and Padmé both. Sometimes Obi-Wan feared what that would mean for him. “Though I’m not certain you ever explained what this droid’s purpose was to be.”

“Oh.” Luke’s shoulders fell just a little. “Well, I’m working on that. But look! He wasn’t trash, you see?” His smile was wide and bright again.

“Yes, Luke. I see.” _Master,_ Obi-Wan thought, _here was a Padawan meant for you._

There was the faintest ripple of approval through the Force.

-

A faint crash sounded in the distance, followed by a curse.

“Ben!” Owen shouted. “Ben, this is your doing, you’ve spoiled that boy--”

“I hardly think,” Obi-Wan began, finding Owen inside the vacant workshop. He stopped, blinking at the new scrap pile that Owen had evidently tripped over. It might, in some distant past, have been an astromech droid. Possibly. The very distant past. “Curious,” Obi-Wan said.

“Curious?”

“What’s going on?” Beru asked, coming up behind them. “Where’s Luke, it’s nearly dinner, he’s-- oh,” she said, noticing the parts on the ground as well. She sighed. “Oh, my.”

“This is hardly my fault,” Obi-Wan said. “I only said that he’d done a good job, and… Oh, come now,” he said as Owen frowned at him. “Surely you can’t begrudge him a healthy hobby.”

“Waste of time,” Owen said, kicking at the bits of droid. As though he hadn’t smiled fondly at Luke’s last rescue mission as it followed him around the farm, when he thought no one could see him.

(The droid frequently clogged up with sand and had to be cleaned before it could resume its aimless trek after Luke, but the adults always pretended not to notice. They also pretended not to notice the fact that Luke had still not figured out exactly what the droid was for.)

“Think of it this way,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “He could be rescuing krayt dragon kits and bringing them home for nursing.”

Goodness. He reminded himself to never say that aloud for Luke to hear. Best to avoid temptation and the power of suggestion.

He got smacked from two sides for his effort.


End file.
